>From Reber's Dictionary of Psychology: A negative reinforcer is any event of behavior >whose reinforcing properties are associated with its removal and, conversely, whose >presentation functions as punishment.
>From the glossary of Domjan's Essentials of Conditioning and Learning: Negative >reinforcer: Same as Aversive Stimulus. Both authors understand the difference between negative reinforcement and punishment and yet use the term negative reinforcer synonymously with aversive stimulus. I can see how this might have developed since a negative reinforcer is an aversive stimulus. However, an aversive stimulus is not always a negative reinforcer. Although I know people use it this way, I find it confusing for my students and do not use that terminology. If you look at a negative reinforcer as equivalent with an aversive stimulus, there is nothing wrong with the graphs on the original page. BTW, in trying to stay away from the term negative reinforcer, aversive seems to work. Is there a good substitute for stimuli that some would call positive? I know appetitive is one used by Thorndike but it just doesn't sound as contemporary or generalizable as aversive. Rick Dr. Rick Froman Associate Professor of Psychology John Brown University 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 [EMAIL PROTECTED] (479) 524-7295 http://www.jbu.edu/academics/sbs/rfroman.asp -----Original Message----- From: Michael Caruso [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 1:02 PM To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences Subject: Re: apparition Sorry to beat a dead horse, but I just looked at the only three behavioral analysis texts I have (2 from 1979 and 1 from 1993) and all three define a "negative reinforcer" as an aversive stimulus - one's whose removal following a response reinforces the behavior. Interestingly, they also use the word "escape" where most of us would use the term "negative reinforcement." Maybe its a difference between those trained specially in behavioral analysis and those of us training in other specialties. Mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, November 03, 2003 1:35 PM Subject: Re: apparition > Michael Caruso wrote: > > > I agree that using the term "negative reinforcer" in this way would be > > confising to students. When I was instructing part-time in grad school, > the > > text I was given used the term negative reinforcer in this way. I didn't > > use that term in class, and I assume that most intro texts dropped using > > that term because it would make a difficult concept (negative > reinforcement) > > even more difficult for the novice to understand. I'm just pointing out > > that I don't think his graphics are technically incorrect. I do however > > think there are much better ways to try to explain the ideas to intro > > students. > > Hmm. Again, I'm no expert, but I do think that the graphics are > technically incorrect, and I suspect that the book that you were given to > teach from in grad school was as well. > > As others have pointed out, there seems to be general agreement that > "reinforcement" always involves increases in the probability of the behavior > (in fact, that "reinforcement" is defined that way). The use of "negative > reinforcer" as a synonym (or near synonym) for punishment runs directly > counter to that. I'd be interested in seeing a general definition of > "reinforcement" in that text that you were given - I'd imagine it would have > to be pretty convoluted, in particular because at least at times > "reinforcement" would be the _opposite_ of what you got from the use of a > "reinforcer". <insert icon with extremely curious and confused look here> > > > Paul Smith > Alverno College > Milwaukee > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
